A $240 mil investment in Auckland school property is expected to address overcrowding in schools and create extra capacity to support growth in Auckland. Around $24 mil will be spent on a new kura in Manurewa.
The principal of Te Wharekura o Manurewa says he's looking forward to the establishment of the new kura.
"We are so happy, overjoyed because we honour those stalwarts who've passed on, Whaea Mori, Matua JD, Matua Les, they led the charge," said Maahia Nathan.
Education Minister Nikki Kaye announced that $24 mil will be spent for a new kura campus for the Wharekura and Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Manurewa.
Wharekura student Katarina Mahutoto says, "Our new school will be awesome because we won't just be a Wharekura, we'll be a combined Wharekura and Kura Kaupapa."
"It's so great and exciting to hear about the new things that are going to happen," said classmate, Te Aroha Edmonds.
Nathan says it's been a 15 year battle with the Ministry of Education to establish the new school campus until last year the Ministry conceded. He says creating a reo Māori speaking community is the long term goal.
"We really pushed a series of proposals to the Ministry. They were turned down. We revised it and put forward another proposal, then that was pushed off the table," he said.
The new Secondary school and Kura Kaupapa will be built here on a substantial block of land on Browns Rd. Eventually, a preschool and tertiary block will be built.
The Wharekura and Kura Kaupapa Māori o Manurewa will meet with the MoE next Tuesday to further discuss the development of the new school.